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Very sad indeed for the family and friends, these deaths from rock fishing can all be avoided in my opinion, a few simple rules if put in to practise will save lives 100%..

I rock fish heaps and it amazes me the risks that people take, these are often very non experienced people too, the times I've had to stop people and make them look at the conditions for 10/15 minutes is huge, anyway education is the key here, learn and if possible go with some one who knows the area, and always set a PLAN B for yourself in case the conditions are rough..

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Maybe it's time for the law to get involved, weather it be ignorance or arrogance, people continue to go to the rocks poorly equipped, no cleats, no life jackets and probably not even able to swim.

Some people remember the days when you were a kid and could jump all over the back seat of the car while dad was doing 70km down parramatta road, it took a while for every body to get used to wearing seatbelts all the time, but we got there, I think the same should apply with life jackets.

Rock fishing is a serious sport, it's about time people took it seriously.

Fishingphase

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I've felt sick all day since reading about the death yesterday at Julian’s little bay.

I was walking at little bay about 730am and was watching these 3 very stupid fisherman, fishing at Julian’s on Sunday morning. The swell was over 1m from the SE, wind was 10knts from the SE and the water was very sloppy. Every second wave was washing up above their knees, but still they continued to fish. Its day's like this that fishing at Julian’s is downright dangerous and shouldn’t be attempted by ANYONE! I thought to myself one of these idiots will get killed if they don’t stop! It sickens me to think that I was right.

This is probably the 4th or 5th person that has died at Malabar or little bay over the past few years!

Hopefully people will learn one day that both JULIANS and Yellow rock, plus a lot of others are deadly when you dont pay attention to the conditions!!!!

Rock fishing is a great sport but when fisherman fish in these conditions its down right stupid and selfish! Fisherman need to think of their families, friends and the poor people that rescue them!

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I have said it before to mates and said it here this spot is not recommended for the novice, not recommended when there is any swell that is continually washing up on the ledge from any direction, one the place is water level its slippery, two there is no easy access there is no easy way out of here! The area to the right is a jumble of boulders and reef! No escape point! Yes it may be a great spot it may hold a lot of pelagics but you know what the place attracts all sorts of people and not all are familiar in rockhopping here,you know a mate tells a mate they go out have a look and the old saying monkey see monkey do comes to mind! So lets go catch fish with no regard to the conditions or the thier lives or those with them.

I do not think getting the law involved will solve the issue, constant education maybe, but sadly at the end of the day people are just plain stupid and do not exercise sound judgement and caution. How many of us have warned people don't go down there or wheres your cleats? but sadly there will be a minority that do not listen and it is this minority who do not exercise sound judgement and go down or continue fishing when the conditions start to worsen are the ones that drown.

Edited November 16, 2012 by luderick -angler

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Really sad to see another person die, I must have fished that spot a hundred times back in the early nineties but NEVER in any south east swell, I don't care how small the waves are if their not from the north east please find another spot to fish for your families sake, no fish is worth your life.

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seriously we divers have to sit through 5 days of training and education before we can even hire the equipment yet why isn't there such thing for rock fishing? sure not every fishermen will do rock fishing but damn it's so easy these days to show few dangerous videos of rock fishing before you can buy fishing license.

I'm a damn good swimmer but if waves isn't flat, I rather not fish. call me a scaredy cat but I rather live.

such pity our government doesn't make life jackets on rock platform mandatory...

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You see it all the time ppl turn up to fish and they just rig up and start fishing. They see the first couple of swells and think it looks great no knowing that swells come in sets and you generally get different sized swells each set.